Shohei Ohtani hits 17th leadoff homer as Dodgers beat Twins

Shohei Ohtani, playing as the designated hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers, opened the June 23, 2026 game against the Minnesota Twins with a leadoff home run. It was his 17th leadoff homer of the season, launched on the second pitch from Twins starter Zeby Matthews at 112.8 mph (≈181.5 km/h) and estimated to have traveled 414 ft (≈126.1 m). The blast gave the Dodgers an early lead, which was later tied when the Twins answered with a solo home run by Will Klein. The teams remained deadlocked until the sixth inning when Freddie Freeman hit a solo homer to put Los Angeles ahead. The Dodgers held on for a 2–1 victory. American media noted that despite a recent dip in his batting average, Ohtani’s swing still "clearly has power" and praised the shot as "top‑class long‑distance power against a 1.47 ERA pitcher." The home run also moved Ohtani three homers short of the 300‑career‑home‑run milestone in Major League Baseball.